Inscribed by the artist in black chalk, at lower left, "plus de lavis"; signed in black chalk, at lower right, "Ingres"; inscribed on verso of the added strip of brown paper, in faint black chalk, "Ing (?)".
Thaw Catalogue Raisonné, 2017, no. 203, repr.
Stampfle, Felice, and Cara D. Denison. Drawings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1975, no. 71, repr.
Denison, Cara D. The Thaw Collection : Master Drawings and New Acquisitions. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1994, p. 262, repr.
Ryskamp, Charles, ed. Twentieth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1981-1983. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1984, p. 265.
Watermark: none.
This drawing is a preparatory study for the figure of Marie de'Medici in the painting "Henri IV with His Children" (now in the Petit Palais, Paris), which the artist executed in Rome in 1817 for the Comte de Blacas, who was the French ambassador at that time. Ingres painted at least two other versions of the subject: one for his fellow pensionnaire in Rome, Dominique Papety, (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London), and one for himself (now in a private collection, Paris).
The head, added later on two horizontal strips of paper, is presumably by another hand. The verso of the added strip of brown paper contains some indistinct sketches in graphite.
Spire, Gaston, former owner.
Thaw, Eugene Victor, former owner.
Thaw, Clare, former owner.